Improvement its



'UNITED STATES Parana OFFICE.

JOHN G. HANCOCK, OF OHARLESTOWN, AND EDWARD P. RICHARDSON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,773, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN G. HANCOCK, of Uharlestown, and EDWARD 1. RIGHARDsON, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

Our invention consists in improving fire-escapes, as hereinafter fully described and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the carriage and fiiction apparatus, and a front elevation of the cranes and the window, the section being taken on the line at w of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of Fig. l on the line 3 y, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the cranes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A represent a pair of small cranes with bed or base-pieces B, adapted 'for resting across the window-sill O and screwing thereto to hold the said cranes in the proper working position by means of the projections D at the outer ends, and the screws E at the inner ends, the latter screwing through the bent ends of the said basepieces against the sill under the rib or projection F thereof. These cranes are connected together for the purpose of steadying them by a bar, G, pivoted to one, and booking on a stud-pin, H, on the other; also by a bar, I, pivoted to one and detaehably connected to the other by a bolt or pin, K; but the said bars may be connected in any suitable way to render them readily detachable, so that the apparatus may be readily put up or be taken down and packed for removal. These cranes have pulleys suspended from the upper ends in any suitable way for suspending the carriage Lby means of ropes M. The ropes are attached to the ring N, connecting them with the four chains 0, holding the platform by each corner thence the said ropes pass up over the pulleys and down through the tubes P and Q, the former being supported vertically on a frame, R, slightly above the platforms, and the latter on the platform below, in the same vertical lines with the others; from these latter the ropes extend to the ground, being long enough to reach the ground when the platform has been let down to it. These tubes are employed as a means of holding the ropes so that they may be readily clamped by friction apparatus for regulating the descent. In the lower tubes the ropes are clamped by the crooked levers T, which project through holes in the tubes and press said ropes against the inner wall of the tubes; said levers being pivoted to the bottom of the platform, where they pass through it and extend along the upper side toward the center, where they nearly meet at the ends of the long arms, to be conveniently secured by a button, U, or any equivalent device. A spring, V, is placed under the said long arms of the levers for throwing them up whenever they are released from the button. This friction apparatus is designed mainly for holding the platform up previous to and While entering upon it, but it may also be used alone or in connection with other friction apparatus for regulatin g the descent. WVe prefer, however, to employ other apparatus alone, using this merely to hold the carriage while preparing for the descent. We therefore combine the clamping-levers WV with the upper tubes P in the manner shown, being a more convenient arrangement for regulating the descent by hand than the others, the said levers rising up along the tubes so that one person may grasp both the tube and lever of one side of the carriage in one hand in a man ner to force the levers against the ropes with great power. On commencing the descent the levers T will be released, when levers \V are employed. The said levers have a projection, X, on one side extending into the tube to act on the ropes. They are also provided with springs Z to throw them out. A piece of flannel, y, or other substance that will not burn readily, may be stretched around the carriage to protect the occupants.

This apparatus may be readily set up in any window, and may be worked down and up as many times as necessary for removing persons or baggage, being elevated by the working of the ropes by persons on the ground, the levers being released from them at the time.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patsuspending-ropes, of the tubes Q,cla1nping-leentvers, and a button or other fastening device, U,

1. The two cranes AA provided with connectall substantially as specified.

in g-bars G I, pivoted to one and detachably fast- JOHN C. HANCOCK.

ened by pins H K to the other, to admit of their EDWARD P. RICHARDSON.

being separated, carried, and applied easily and Witnesses:

conveniently, as specified. DUNCAN BRADFORD,

2. The combination, with the carriage and the JOSIAH G. RICHARDSON. 

